HINDU CHAUINISM

Pradeep Kaushal on Maharana Pratab: The New RSS Icon

The BJP has found a new icon. After Ram it is now Maharana Pratap. Exactly four centuries after his death, the party is now seeking to resurrect the Hindu king.

The choice of their latest idol is probably deliberate since the Maharana is said to be a descendant of Ram. Indeed, with his reputation as a brave warrior who symbolised successful Hindu resistance to the Mughal Empire during its zenith, Pratap, also known as Hindwa Suraj (Sun among the Hindus), has all the trappings of a cult figure for the saffron party.

The modern day Hindutva slogan is also reminiscent of Pratap's insignia proclaiming Jo dridh rakhe dharm ko, tihi rakhe kartar (He who protects the faith, is protected by God).

The State BJP unit has embarked on a year-long high-profile programme to mark the 400th year of the Maharana's death.

In his home ground, Shekhawat, who is usually identified as one of the party liberals, made an impassioned speech. "But for Maharana Pratap, there would have been no choti (tuft of hair) or janeu (sacred thread) today", he declared.

Shekhawat's aggressive stand is seen as an effort tooutbid his detractors both within and outside the party. By using Pratap as his secret weapon to play on the Hindu ethos, Shekhawat hopes to silence his rival colleagues, identified with the RSS. Outside the party, he would be scoring over the Congress, which systematically ignored Rana Pratap during its long rule in the State.

The BJP has ever roped in I.K. Gujral to commemorate the Maharana's historic battle against the Mughal army in 1576.

Meanwhile, not to be outdone, the state RSS unit has published a special issue on Pratap in its mouthpiece - Jagran Patra. An article by Dr. Omkar Singh Rathore draws parallels between the lives of Ram and the Maharana.

Dr. Rathore also compares Pratap with Krishna.

Reconversion or Ethnic Cleansing

Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Giriraj Kishore in arecent press conference said his organisations would declare a district in Rajasthan to be "Christian free "by 2000 AD. Under civilised law, this process is called Ethnic Cleansing, and is an international crime inviting immediate wrath of decent people and governments, and deserving of summary and exemplary punishment.

The news was widely covered by the national press, and therefore one waited for some of the many political groups and non-governmental organisations now fighting to defend secularism - among them the Congress, the Janata Dal, the Left Front and the regional parties – to take notice of it, and to denounce it for the fascist threat that it was. Over the years, the VHP has been making such threats, announcing its "reconversions’" as it calls them, and threatening to push out people of other faiths from various parts of the country. Perhaps government, ministers and police officers charged with ensuing communal harmony and protecting the rights of the people do not read newspapers, or perhaps they do not take the VHP seriously.

On Fundamentalist Vandalism

In Painter M.F. Husain hurt the religious sensibilities of some Hindus ... the vandals who stormed the Husain-Doshi gallery in Ahmedabad and burned 16 of his reproduced works of art have done more to scandalise the civilised world.

The Bajrang Dal activists, and the Mumbai Police, have done a disservice to Hinduism. They have replicated, in fact, the behaviour of the fundamentalists they oppose.

The controversial Husain painting was done in1976 - 20 years ago. This was clearly an attempt to whip up communal fervour (Husain is a Muslim) Would Husain have taken the same liberty with a Muslim subject? His detractors ask. The answer is that whilc Hinduism does have an ancient tradition of such art, Islam does not. Cultural fundamentalism - backed by official sanctions - has no place in India.                    

RSS: Annual Training Camp

Mayor of Nagpur, Shri Devendra Phadnavis inaugurated the Annual Sangh Shiksha Varga (SSV) for third-year trainees of the RSS. The first two years of training (is) to understand the activities and philosophy of RSS. The third year training enables one to feel and follow such an ideology in the life.

1068 trainees from all parts of India are participating in the SSV.

Kerala                          70                                Tamil Nadu                 40

Karnataka                    44                                Andhra Pradesh          56

Utkal                           37                                Vidarbha                     36

Maharashtra                73                                Gujarat                       46

Madhya Bharat           79                                Rajasthan                   135

Delhi                           41                                Haryana                      33

Punjab                         13                                Himgiri                      16